Stately chandelier to resume spot in Minnesota Capitol

A majestic chandelier weighing a ton and stretching six feet in diameter will soon retake its place inside the Capitol dome that towers over the rotunda. The chandelier has been in a wooden box for more than two years while construction crews worked to fix a problem with the dome that was letting water seep in.

In the Capitol's century-old life, the chandelier has been lowered only six times.

The chandelier has 92 bulbs surrounded by 40,000 crystal beads strung together. The fixture is traditionally lit once per year: on Statehood Day, which is May 17.

But the orb will be raised back into place and lit during a ceremony on Jan. 17. The ceremony will feature songs from the early 1900s.

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